‘The Lord of the Rings’ Star Andy Serkis Does His Perfect Gollum Impression

Actor Andy Serkis is known for bringing unbelievable creatures to life in films like King Kong, the Planet of the Apes series, and, most famously, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Despite more than 15 years having passed since Serkis performed his iconic Gollum in the Tolkien series, Serkis proved he can still easily recall the character during an appearance on The Late Late Show. Check out the impression in the clip above.

While Gollum briefly appeared in 2001’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, it wasn’t until the 2002 sequel that Serkis’ abilities were put on full display. Thanks in large part to director Peter Jackson’s ambitious take on the character, Serkis and his motion-capture performance made Gollum the breakout star of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which many audiences felt warranted awards consideration. The role might not have earned him an Academy Award, but it did solidify Serkis as the preeminent motion-capture performer, leading the charge with technology that was embraced by other filmmakers.

The collaboration between Jackson and Serkis continued with King Kong, with Serkis embodying the iconic titular ape. The film might not have earned the same success as The Lord of the Rings, but Serkis was lauded for his skills at humanizing such a massive creature.

When the Planet of the Apes franchise was resurrected, the studio opted to take a motion-capture route instead of relying on performers in makeup, with Serkis playing the chimpanzee Caesar. Over the course of the trilogy of films, Serkis conveyed the chimp’s evolution as an individual, as a leader, as a father, and as a hero, once again leading audiences to assume the actor would be recognized by the Academy Awards for his efforts. Though he might not have earned a nomination for that performance, fans still know just how much he accomplished with the trilogy, despite his face never actually being seen.

Serkis’ abilities have worn over legions of audiences, with the actor also earning passionate supporters inside the industry as well. His skills in his motion-capture roles helped pave the way for his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he played Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther. The actor also brought his motion-capture talents to the Star Wars series, delivering a performance as Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Most recently, Serkis directed Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, which hits Netflix on December 7th.

What’s your favorite of Serkis’ roles? Let us know in the comments below!